Sunday Morning for Sunday 8 December 2024

8:10 US Update with Simon Marks

Feature Story News' chief correspondent Simon Marks discusses the latest on the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

8:15 The Sunday Morning Quiz with Jack Waley-Cohen   

Our quiz master Jack Waley-Cohen is back for another Sunday Morning quiz.   

Jack is the mind behind the questions on BBC quiz show ‘Only Connect’ which is known for being both difficult to crack and totally obvious.     

It’s Sunday morning, so wake up your brain and have a go!       

8:25 Missiles in the Octopus’ Garden 

Ever since the Beatles hit, we’ve known of octopuses’ ability to customise their habitat, but a new Netflix documentary series has some incredible footage of an octopus actually firing stones at a nearby fish. 

Our Oceans,  presented by former US president, Barack Obama explores the wonder of Earth's oceans in a five-part series – one for each of the world’s oceans. 

Award-winning underwater cameraman Roger Munns was the director of photography on the series, and he joins us to talk about filming such a huge project and of course, that octopus. 

9:00 Mediawatch 

Australia’s world-first social media ban for under-16s was cheered on by many media - including some of ours. But it's also highlighted their own dependency on big tech. Meanwhile one TV broadcaster that went all-in on TikTok has found a huge new audience. But what are the risks?   

9:35 Sarah McMullen reviews Beatles 64 and Wicked 

Some on-screen musical treats reviewed this week by journalist and media commentator, Sarah McMullen, 

10:10 Ian Rankin: My relationship with Rebus 

The brand-new John Rebus thriller, Midnight and Blue from bestseller Ian Rankin sees detective Rebus, who has spent his life putting Edinburgh's criminals behind bars now incarcerated alongside them. 

Ian Rankin joins us for a chat about his writing, his city and his long-term relationship with his iconic creation, Rebus. 

10:50 What now for the US Health Insurance Industry? 

With the US still reeling from the shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson and speculation that the words written on the bullets suggest a motive connected to the health insurance industry, we talk to Health Writer for the Associated Press, Tom Murphy about the possible implications for the industry. 

11.05 How nodding off could help us be more creative 

Dreams have long been a source of creativity for artists, but researchers are looking to take that to a new level with a technique called ‘targeted dream incubation’. 

Homing in on the transitional state between wakefulness and asleep, known as hypnagogia, could be the key to tapping into a wellspring of post-sleep creative performance, says experimental dream researcher Dr Adam Haar Horowitz. 

 Dr Haar Horowitz and his colleagues have found prompting our brains while they are in the malleable state of hypnagogia could not only enhance creativity and problem solving, but also help those with addiction or mental illness. He joins Jim to discuss the research. 

11:30 Do Gen-Z think books are a waste of time? 

For a recent article in The Atlantic, assistant editor, Rose Horowitch spoke to over thirty professors at several colleges throughout the US and uncovered an alarming phenomenon: many students are arriving at college unprepared to read entire books. 

Is it that reading just isn’t that important anymore?